Metal's Quest
by GammaFangirl
Summary: After being defeated by Sonic too many times, Metal Sonic begins to question his purpose.  Filed under Crossovers due to what will happen in later chapters
1. Defeated Again

From a distance, it would look like some elaborate, high-speed dance. Two blue blurs darted back and forth on the deck of a massive airship, never staying in one spot for too long. They would occasionally crash into each other, then continue the rapid darting. What seems like a spectacular show of speed and agility to the unknowing viewer is, in reality, a fierce battle between mortal enemies: Sonic the Hedgehog and his robotic clone, Metal Sonic.

"You're going down, faker!" shouted Sonic as he charged at his doppelganger. "There's only one Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic took on a fetal position in mid-charge, causing his razor-sharp spines to become more defined. Metal followed suit, entering his own Spin Attack Mode. Sonic and Metal rolled toward each other at breakneck speeds, clashing yet again. Both combatants uncurled after being knocked back by the force of the collision. Sonic backflipped onto a now-inactive gun turret, daring his robotic rival to come at him again. Metal accepted the dare and revved his engines. Before he could reach full speed, Sonic had jumped off the turret and landed behind the robot, kicking him in the back of the head. Metal was sent sliding into the same turret Sonic stood on before attacking.

"Too slow, Metalhead," the hedgehog taunted, flashing his trademark grin as he watched his metallic clone start to spark. Metal stood up with his eyes glowing bright red and his fists clenched and shaking violently. "Blast," he thought as he tried to rev his engines to chase the escaping hedgehog. "He shorted out my engine control relays. I can't reach full speed in this condition." Metal hung his head. "Why can't I defeat him? It's my purpose to defeat him...isn't it?" After being beaten so many times, Metal was beginning to wonder.

Metal began walking toward the repair bay. "If I am to do anything or go anywhere, I need to get myself repaired," he said to himself as he continued his trek. He was thankful that Sonic didn't damage his main motor relays. It always puzzled him. Why would Sonic just leave his malfunctioning hide behind and take off running after beating him. The only reason Metal could think of was that Sonic always looked forward to their next battle, but was that the only reason? "Is there another reason that hedgehog shows me mercy? Surely he knows I would kill him...if I could." He continued to walk, his gaze pointed to the deck of the airship, casting a red glow on the floor below him. "I am almost there," he thought. "What should I do once repairs are complete?" He asked out loud. "Should I go after Sonic, knowing he will defeat me yet again? It seems like a waste of time and energy now; an exercise in futility." While Metal's conscious mind wandered, his guidance system had been directing him to a platform that led straight to the repair bay. Metal stood still, allowing a scanner to move from his head to his feet. "Metal Sonic...Access granted," droned a computerized voice as the platform descended into the repair bay.


	2. The Journey Begins

It took no less than half an hour for the repair droids to complete their work on Metal. The robotic hedgehog walked back to the platform he had used to enter the repair bay. Just as the platform began to ascend, the same computerized voice that granted Metal access to the repair bay spoke again. "Warning. Main engine has failed. Crash imminent." The computer couldn't be more right. The ship began to shake violently. "Escape seems to be my only option now," thought Metal. "Sonic and the Doctor must have escaped as well." Metal charged up his Plasma Pulse Cannon and blasted a hole in the closed hatch above the platform. Activating his engine, Metal shot up through the hole at top speed and flew away from the ship as it began to fall, breaking apart with large explosions as it did so. The shattered remains of the airship crashed into the ocean below, but it was of no concern to Metal. He simply flew toward the land ahead. He had no particular destination.

"For the longest time, I was convinced that my purpose was to eliminate Sonic the Hedgehog," the robotic clone said to himself. "It is the reason I was created." Metal began to descend, heading for the shore. "If I cannot defeat that hedgehog..." Metal shook his fists for two seconds before returning them to their original position at his sides. "If I cannot do what I was created to do..." He landed on the beach. "What is my purpose? What am I truly meant for?" Metal deactivated his engines and gazed at the thick brush ahead of him. "Will I find what I seek there?" He asked himself as thunder rumbled in the distance.

Just beyond the wall of vegetation was the labyrinthine expanse of jungle and long-lost relics known only as the Mystic Ruins. Metal's creator, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, once had a base set up in this jungle, but it was surely in serious disrepair at this point. After all, it had been abandoned since the mad scientist's plans involving the ancient God of Destruction, Chaos, had backfired. Robotnik, or Eggman as he was commonly known, was not one to return to an abandoned base.

The rumbling thunder had now given way to rain. As the showers began to bombard Metal's hull, the robot was thankful for his waterproof construction. "The sky seems to cry the tears I am unable to shed," he said to himself. Waterproof or not, though, Metal was exposed out here. Entering the Mystic Ruins jungle seemed to be his best choice. Encompassing himself in a golden-yellow energy field, the robotic hedgehog barrelled through the brush at full speed. The violent snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves did not concern Metal in the least. All that mattered to the robot was getting into the jungle, which seemed to call to him for reasons beyond mere cover.

Having made his way through the brush wall, Metal deactivated his shield. "I do not understand. Why does this jungle seem to summon me? Ancient Echidna ruins do not concern me at all, nor does the Doctor's abandoned base." Metal's thoughts were interrupted by his radar, which was informing him of an incoming object. Metal stopped immediately, analyzing the data it fed into him. The object was three feet and three inches tall, but moving too slow to be his organic counterpart.

The object in question soon came into Metal's view. It wasn't Sonic, but it was a hedgehog. This hedgeheg was red with green eyes and a patch of white fur on his chest similar to that of Shadow. The red hedgehog approached Metal, seemingly unafraid of the killer robot that stood before him. "Are you troubled, robotic hedgehog?" the stranger asked, his voice somewhat deep for a hedgehog of his apparent age.

Metal was frozen, completely shocked as to why this red hedgehog, a creature he could easily rip to shreds, would speak to him so casually. "How would you know?" Metal asked in a demanding tone. "Why would you care?"

"The manner in which you carry yourself suggests that you are troubled." The red hedgehog placed his gloveless hand on Metal's shoulder. "Please tell me what is wrong."

Metal considered slapping the stranger's hand away violently, but found no good reason to do so. "I...am unsure of my purpose." Just then, the robotic hedgehog couldn't help but wonder if this strange red hedgehog could help him.


End file.
